Changing the Future

Summary:
Just before Bella comes to Forks, both she and Edward receive a package of 4 books. Their lives change now they know a version of the future. Can they do better this time, learn from the books? Canon rewrite of DeydreamBeliever's original story.

Notes:
This is a rewrite of DeydreamBeliever's (FanFiction.net ID #1843522) original story located on FanFiction.net. The original is posted on my fanfiction.net account with the author's permission (please see her account for verification). Other FF authors are free to rewrite and/or continue the original version of this story, but this rewrite is mine. Please don't steal it. Thank you.
Disclaimer: The Twilight saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just having some fun playing with the characters.

1. Chapter 1

The day started out the same as any other for Edward Cullen. He went to high school, again, and sat in classes that he could instruct better than the teacher could. He did his best to tune out the deluge of thoughts that assaulted his mind due to his “gift.” It seemed a curse more than a gift, although it was extremely useful for protecting his vampire family from suspicious humans.

As the only vampire in his family without a mate, a companion to love and keep him from an eternity of loneliness, each day became a monotonous blend from one into the next, with little happening to differentiate one from any other. This day, however, changed everything. It all began when he and his “siblings” returned to their remote home in the Olympic wilderness after their day in Forks’ High.

“Edward, honey, a package came for you today,” Esme announced as he walked through the door, pointing toward a large box placed on the coffee table.

“What did you get me this time, Alice?” Edward asked his hyperactive shopaholic sister, with a poor attempt at mustering some enthusiasm for whatever she’d decided to buy him this time.

Unexpected packages were a common occurrence in their household due to Alice’s shopping obsession and their nearly limitless funds, which had mostly been accumulated over the course of the last century and increased exponentially due to Alice’s foresight of stock market trends. It made their existence exceedingly more pleasant, never lacking the funds for any comfort, convenience, or entertainment they chose to indulge themselves in. Their wealth also allowed them to give back to humanity by anonymously donating to various charities.

“It wasn’t me this time,” Alice protested. Her eyes glazed over momentarily as she used her gift to see what was in the package. Curious now, knowing the parcel wasn’t something Alice had ordered for him, Edward listened into her thoughts to watch the vision along with her. He saw himself open the box and remove four books, then sit on his sofa as he read them, completely absorbed by the story.

Cheered slightly by this unexpected gift, Edward was glad that it was the start of the weekend, so he could read the books uninterrupted. By the size of them, he expected to be reading all night and well into tomorrow.

“Oh, just books. Enjoy your weekend, Brother.” Alice smirked at him, knowing how much he enjoyed either reading or listening to music. Her mind turned to both her wardrobe and Jasper as she grasped her mate’s hand and pulled him up the stairs to their room. Rosalie and Emmett had long disappeared into their bedroom to relieve the stress of their day among hormonal human teenagers.

Edward quickly diverted his thoughts from them, focusing once again on Esme. “Thanks, Mom,” he mumbled, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

Esme beamed at him, her thoughts overflowing with happiness at his words and gesture. Edward usually kept to himself, and while he did consider Carlisle and Esme to be his father and mother in many ways, he rarely addressed them as such. Edward usually eschewed physical contact as well, rarely initiating a hug or a kiss, and often grudgingly accepting of ones given to him.

Turning away from her, Edward retrieved his parcel and fled to his room, craving the solitude he would find there. Although not complete with his family’s thoughts and sounds creating a constant background noise, the weather was not conducive for reading books outside, so his room was the best sanctuary he would find. After nearly a century as a gifted a vampire, he was used to the noise and had no trouble filtering them out of his conscious mind so he could focus on his own pursuits.

Following the path of Alice’s vision, Edward walked over to his black leather sofa, the only furniture currently in his room. Not needing sleep or having a mate, he didn’t feel the need to fill his space with an unnecessary bed. The sofa more than fulfilled his needs—technically, he didn’t even need that, as he was just as comfortable standing as he was sitting—but he enjoyed keeping at least some human habits, such as sitting to read a book, alive.

Gracefully seating himself on the sofa, he cut open the parcel with his sharp fingernails and removed the four books from within. He gave them a cursory inspection, deducing they were a series, and checked the covers for an indication of where to start reading. Finding it, he placed the books in order, setting three on the floor and opening the first book. He turned past the title page to the book’s preface, already engrossed by the story printed on the pages.

Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Arizona, an identical parcel arrived on the doorstep of Renée and Phil Dwyer’s home. The parcel was not addressed to them, however, but to Renée’s daughter, Isabella “call me Bella” Swan. Bella was in the midst of packing the meager belongings she intended to take with her when she moved to live with her father, Charlie, in Forks, Washington the next day when she heard the doorbell chime. Rushing to the front door, she arrived just in time to see a brown van driving away.

Looking down, she saw the parcel and picked it up, noticing the label bearing her name, but curiously without a return address. The package arrived just in time. A day later and her mother would have had to forward it on to her in Forks, if she remembered to do so, anyway.

Sighing, she pushed the thought of being stuck in the dismal town her father called home to the back of her mind. It was her choice to go there to live with him, and she would stand by that choice, no matter how much she dreaded it. It was only for a couple more years, then she could escape to any place of her choosing, that her limited budget could afford anyway.

The box was heavier than she expected, but her astute mind told her it was filled with books. Prior knowledge with similar packages reinforced that theory. She took the parcel to her room and dropped it ungracefully on her bed, before turning to her packing supplies in search of some scissors. She found them and worked quickly, yet carefully, to open the box, revealing the books she assumed were within.

There were four of them, she was delighted to see. Reading was her favorite pastime, and now she would have something new to occupy her on her flight and over the weekend before the dreaded first day in a new school. The books would make the weekend fly by, which wasn’t exactly a good thing, but they would also hopefully keep her worrying too much about Monday’s arrival.

Assuming the books were an unexpectedly thoughtful gift from her mother, Bella left her room to go thank her for them. She found Renée in the garage of all places, searching through boxes, a pile of discarded items scattered around her. Oh well, at least it was better than a cooking disaster in the kitchen, and this time Bella wouldn’t be the one to clean up after her.

“Thanks for the new books, Mom,” Bella said enthusiastically, expressing her gratitude. Renée looked up at her, wearing a puzzled expression.

“What books, honey?”

How odd, Bella thought. Her mother wasn’t any better at lying than she was. Unless Renée had forgotten about the books—a possibility, but unlikely; her mother was certainly scatterbrained, but she didn’t have trouble recalling something once she had a reminder—someone else had sent them to her.

“Never mind,” Bella answered, brushing off her query. It was a little worrisome, some unknown person mailing her something, but they were just books and Bella wouldn’t be at this house anymore after tomorrow. Whoever it was would be crazy to stalk her at the Chief of Police’s home, even if he was just the Chief of a small town. “The flight takes off rather early tomorrow, so I’m going to bed right after dinner.”

“Good idea, honey,” Renée responded absently, her mind already back on whatever she was looking for. Bella shrugged and went to the kitchen to start dinner, whipping up some spaghetti—something quick and easy to make—and eating by herself, a normal routine for her. She put the rest of the spaghetti into the fridge for her mother to re-heat later once Renée realized she was hungry.

Returning to her room, Bella packed the few remaining items left there before sitting on her bed, looking nostalgically around at the bare walls of her bedroom. She thought of everything she was leaving behind—the sun, warmth, her mother—but refused to give in to despair. Shaking off the morose thoughts, she went through her nightly routine before climbing into bed and snuggling herself down in between the sheets.

This was the last night she would spend in this house, this room, this bed. This time tomorrow she would be in cold, dreary, rainy Forks, Washington with her father, whom she had only seen for two weeks each year during the summer. It was a daunting change to her well-ordered universe and she wasn’t quite sure how she’d cope with it all, but she was determined to nonetheless.

Despite her best efforts, she tossed and turned restlessly, sleep eluding her. Her mind refused to quiet and give her peace, and eventually she gave up trying. Flipping the lamp next to her bed on, she retrieved the books that had arrived for her, looking through them carefully to determine which one to start with.

Finally settling on the book called Twilight, she sat up against her headboard, the book in her lap. She examined the cover, wondering at the symbolism of two pale hands holding a shiny red apple, as if in offering, before opening the book and flipping the pages forward until she reached the preface. Her eyes quickly absorbed the words upon the page and she was immediately intrigued when she caught the name of the town she would moving to tomorrow: Forks. She turned the page, reading through the night.